KORG OFFERS INTERACTIVE PRESENCE AT LEVIâ€™SÂ®/FADER FORT IN AUSTIN THE WEEK OF THE SXSW CONFERENCE

â€” Consumers of all musical abilities able to make music in a â€œhands onâ€? setting â€”

MELVILLE, NY, April 16, 2010 â€” Korg USA had a major interactive presence at the 2010 Leviâ€™sÂ®/Fader Fort, the week of the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas. Guests of the massive, interactive compound and performance venue experienced music-making in an unusual, hands-on way as they entered the Sound Lab area, powered by Korg.

performed additional creative functions such as using the instruments to operate various pieces of â€œmachineryâ€? in the room.

Los Angeles-based musician Brian Kehew was brought in to design the space: â€œWe tried to find a way to integrate the classic â€˜rootsyâ€™ style of Leviâ€™s and Austin, Texas â€“ with the modern state-of-the-art Korg style. That was a challenge, as Korg design looks more at home on a spaceship than a ranch. We worked from the concept that any instrument is much like a tool â€“ and how we could present this to the visitors without saying it directly. A â€˜toolâ€™ shop â€“ like a 1950â€™s machinist shop â€“ was a familiar look, worn and comfortable and yet a place to create, to build. We made this workshop that people felt good walking into, and the â€˜toolsâ€™ on the wall showed quickly this was a work environment, not a museum where you canâ€™t touch. So people gravitated toward whatever pieces looked most interesting, and playing and figuring them out as they went, without needing instructions. It made quite an impression â€“ most of these people had never seen the Korg instruments before, or even been to a music store! It was designed to be fun, and so that non-musicians could make music too. It was a great success for all of us at Korg and Leviâ€™s, and the people really loved it!â€?

Sheri Timmons, Director, Engagement Marketing at Leviâ€™s, commented on the collaboration between Leviâ€™s and Korg: â€œLeviâ€™s has been actively engaging the music community through events such as the Leviâ€™s/Fader Fort, and partnering with a forward-thinking company such as Korg seemed like a natural fit. The selection of easy-to-use Korg products that we included in our SoundLab helped us to create an environment where anyone could enjoy music making and exploration on their own.â€?